Half to benjamin p



(No Modeli) R; MAN-SURE.

SIGN.

Patented Nov. 2,1886.

INVENTOR/ M MW WITNESSES W014 ATTORNEY UNITED, STATES f P T NT "()FFICE.

ROBERT MANSURE, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO BENJAMIN F.' CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351.990,'dated November 18 6.

Application filed March 11, 1836. Serial No. 194,757; (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT MANSURE, a

citizenof the United States, residing at Philadelphia,'in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective of a portableswinging sign and folding stand or support embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of same, showing stand or support folded. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the top of the stand or support, drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of lower part of aportion of stand or support and of the sign, showing one of the spring-hinged or yielding folding bars connecting the legs or frames of the stand and hook attachment on the sign for engagement with the bar to hold the sign in a fixed position. i Fig. 5 is an elevation showing portion of the legs or frames of the stand or support when partly folded and the position of the folding connecting-bars asthey slide up one of the legs or frames while folding them; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing one of the stand legs or frames fixed to the top cross-bar of the stand.

My invention has relation to portable signs or placards for stores, or for business advertising and other purposes; and it has for its object to provide an economical, light, and durable construction of sign and folding stand or support therefor, so arranged that the sign is hinged, pivoted, or loosely hung upon its stand, so as to swing thereon and admit of instant removal to effect a change of signs, and which is susceptible of being held in a fixed position upon its stand, and has both of its sides available for use or for display or advertising.

My invention accordingly consists of the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts comprising a portable swinging sign and folding stand or support, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, A represents the sign, preferably made of a plate of sheet-iron, a, placed in a wooden or other flame, a, as shown; or it may be made of slate, wood, or any other suitable rigid or, if desired, flexible material, like canvas or oil-cloth.

If wood or analogous material is used for the sign, the frame a is dispensed with, as shown in Fig. 6. V n

One edge of one of the narrow sides, or one edge of one of the long sides, if desired, of the frame of the sign is provided with eyes or equivalent devices c for hanging the sign upon the hooks b of its stand or support B. The latter consists of a top cross-bar, b, which is preferably made of wood, and from the'bottom or under side of which depend the hooks b, as shown, and of legs or frames b, hinged, pivoted, or loosely secured to the cross-bar b, so that they may be opened out from each other or closed or folded together. These frames or legs are preferably composed of inverted-U or approximately-bent iron rods, round in crosssection; or they each consist of sides 0 c and top cross-bar, 0, preferably bent out of one piece of metal, and a separate lower cross-rod, c, for connecting and bracing the lower part of the sides 0 c. The top cross-bars, c, of frames b preferably enter rabbets d d on each side of the stand cross-bar b, and are loosely connected or jointed thereto by metal or other clips, E, suitably screwed to the bottom and sides of cross-bar b at each end of same, as shown.

The rabbets or recesses (I may be formed as desired; but I prefer to fasten strips of wood 6 on the sides of cross-bar b above its bottom, and screw the ends of the clips E to the bottom of bar I) and to the strips e, as more plainly shown in Figs. 3 and 6. If desired, however, the frames or legs I) may be loosely hung or jointed to cross-bar bin any other desired or suitable manner. The frames or legs b are connected together by side bars, F, for limiting the distance of their motion apart from one another to provide a stable stand for the sign. These bars F are preferably made of spring or elastic wire, having at one end a coiled or spring-hinge connection, 7, with one of the frames b", and at the remaining end an eye or other equivalent connection, f, with the other frame, b, so that as the latter are folded the ends f of bars F are automatically elevated by the spring or hinged connections f of the same to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, to admit of easy closing together or folding of the stand B when the sign is not in use.

The bars F may, if desired, be provided with eyes f, as shown either in Fig. 1 or 4, for engagement with hooks f a on sign A, to prevent it from swinging when it is desired to hold it in a fixed position; but, if desired,- these side bars, F, may be dispensed with.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the sign A and its stand or support are portable. Both sides of the sign are used for display,and the stand is a folding one.

I do not limit myself to the construction and arrangement of detail parts, as it is evident that the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. So, too, instead of loosely fastening thesign to the stand B, the sign can be rigidly fixed thereto, as indioated by dotted lines 00, Fig. 3. Again, instead of making both legs or frames b fold or movable on their connections, only one of them need be movable, and in this case the one not movable is screwed to the cross-bar b, as indicated in Fig. 6.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with cross-bar b and folding legs or frames b pivoted or hinged to said crossbar, of a sign-board, A, secured to the cross-bar intermediately of the legs I), substantially as set forth.

2. A folding sign composed of a cross-bar, I), having hinged or pivoted frames b, board A, hinged or pivoted to said cross-bar, and locking devices for holding the frames 1)" in position when spread apart, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of cross-bar b, folding frames or legs b b*, having side bars, F, pro- 

